There are known aids and methods to ease the donning and doffing of prosthetic limbs and prosthetic sockets, but there are no aids to ease the donning and doffing of prosthetic liners. Modern prosthetic liners are typically of the suction liner type.
These types of prosthetic liners are generally made from silicone, or some other polymeric material, and are usually smaller in diameter than the residuum, so that when applied, they compress the residuum. Examples of the prosthetic liners include those taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,923,474, 6,136,039 and 6,964,688.
Because the prosthetic liners have a smaller diameter than the residuum, they can be somewhat difficult to apply. This is particularly true for users who have sensitive residual limbs, such as elderly users or those users who have had multiple amputations.
While solutions in the prior art include devices and methods for donning and doffing an artificial limb, such as a prosthetic socket as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,353 (Layton) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,489 (Slemeker), there are no solutions for donning and doffing a prosthetic liner. As a result, the present invention is provided to address the shortcomings in the prior art and furnish a prosthetic liner donning and doffing device.